


To The Side

by polgara



Series: Fish Climbing Trees [11]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 07:30:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7967893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polgara/pseuds/polgara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things have changed for Jim over the past two and a half years..</p>
            </blockquote>





	To The Side

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that I haven't seen the newest movie so no spoilers please.

Jim stood off to the side and tried to give the parting couple the illusion of privacy. They were doing their best to keep the moment professional as cadets bustled around them, boarding the shuttles to take them up to the ships waiting to take them on their field training mission. However, he could see the tears shining in Buffy's eyes as she spoke in hushed tones with his best friend. 

Best friend. There was a time, not too long ago, that he had never thought such a thing was possible. And now, he had not one, but two of them. He had spent so much of his young life alone and wandering, having been abandoned by both his mother and older brother to an uncle who could have cared less what happened to his youngest nephew. But in the here and now, he could honestly say he loved both Buffy and Bones and would do anything for them. 

He gave Buffy an encouraging smile as she hugged Bones one last time and then gave him a wave, before she turned and headed toward her waiting shuttle. The next three weeks were going to be quiet with her gone. Not to mention the free time that just cleared up from their usual tutoring sessions. 

Jim waited until Buffy disappeared inside the shuttle before moving to stand next to his friend. “Cheer up Bones, it's only for three weeks,” he said, clamping his hand onto his shoulder.

“She's going into space, Jim. Without us,” Bones said, his words clipped. 

“Where she will be lucky if she gets to help chart a nebula,” he said with false cheer. “Way more exciting than repairing the original communication buoys, don't you think? We were bored to tears for three weeks.” 

“It's space, Jim, there's nothing safe about it.” 

He moved to stand in front of Bones and effectively blocked his view of the shuttle being boarded by other cadets. “They design these tours to give the cadets practical experience, not fight for their lives. She's finally going to get a chance to put all of this new knowledge to use. We should be excited for her.” 

Bones gave him a withering look but didn't respond. His head tilted to the side to look around Jim as if he could see through the metal alloy walls and into the shuttle.

Jim grabbed his chin and forced him to look away. “She will be fine. Who in this world is better at taking care of herself than Buffy? She's going to kick ass.”

For a long moment his best friend didn't move, then his shoulders drooped and his gaze dropped to the ground. “I miss her already.” 

A small lump in Jim's throat reminded him that his friend wasn't the only one who was going to miss her. The following weeks were going to be long and miserable while their trio briefly turned into a duo. “Me, too, Bones. Me, too.” He put his hand back on Bones' shoulder and began to turn him away from the shuttle and back out through the doors. “Let's get a drink.”


End file.
